Carnotaurus
'Carnotaurus' (name meaning "''Meat-Eating Bull") is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaur that originated during the Early Cretaceous in what is now South America. One of the world's best-known theropod dinosaurs, though it measured only 9 meters long and weighed 2 tons, Carnotaurus is famous for its predatory nature and bull-like horns. Carnotaurus was first encountered in the episode "Clash of the Titans" in which a pair of them were brought back to the park. The pair then gave birth to their three offspring. They reside in a jungle area in the Park. Facts Era & Discovery Carnotaurus lived in South America during the Early to Late Cretaceous period, from 120–65 million years ago. Carnotaurus was first discovered in 1984 by an expedition led by Argentinian paleontologist José Bonaparte. Since its discovery, Carnotaurus has become one of the most famous dinosaurs in the world. Physical Attributes Carnotaurus was relatively large for a medium-sized predatory dinosaur. On average, they stood around 8–10 feet (2.5–3 m) tall, measured 24–34 feet (7–10 m) long, and weighed around 2 tons (4,000 lbs.). However, it was smaller than larger predators, such as Allosaurus and Tyrannosaurus. Details of its skull indicate that it had a good sense of smell, but poor eyesight. Its forelegs were very small - some of the smallest among dinosaurs, some scientists even think they were fully internal, but this point of view isn't widely accepted. Being a lightweight, Carnotaurus could run extremely fast, and in fact, was one of the fastest theropods that had ever lived, running as fast as 30–35 mph. Perhaps Carnotaurus's most recognizable attribute was the pair of small horns on top of their heads, just above their eyes. Rather than for confrontations, these horns seem to be for display in courtships during mating season. Behavior & Traits Carnotuaurs was a ferocious dinosaur, hence its name. It is said to have the same short temper as a bull. Like some carnivores, Carnotaurus hunted in pairs as well as packs but were also solitary. The pack would be made up of the parents and their offspring. During mating season, the males would show off their horns and the females chose the males with the biggest horns. Additionally, rival males would fight each other with bites, tail-whips, and ramming attacks. When female Carnotaurs had babies, they were very wary of the males being around them, as male carnivores often eat their young. However, the males would help the females raise their offspring if it was ever necessary. As far as hunting went, Carnotaurus would lie in wait within trees, waiting for the right moment to strike. Once they locked on a target, they would erupt out of the trees and chase down prey. Like most predatory dinosaurs of their size, Carnotaurus had been known to attack animals that rival their own size. Together in a pack, Carnotaurus would even be able to bring down small sauropods. Journal Entry Gallery Picture_6.png g-PKeOyO8gZ.jpg Facecarnotaur.jpg 250px-Carnotaurus.jpg|''Carnotaurus'' in enclosure Trivia *''Carnotaurus'' is the only member of its family brought to the park. *The sound effects of Carnotaurus are that of wild cat roars (such as leopard, jaguar, and cougar) as well as some lion growls, crocodile hisses, some bull and bear roars as well as other dinosaurs sounds. Category:Prehistoric Animals Category:Cretaceous Wildlife Category:Dinosaurs Category:Reptiles Category:Cretaceous Dinosaurs Category:Most Famous Prehistoric Creatures Category:Carnivores Category:Theropods